A & B DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH AFFAIRS

1st JULY, 2014 – On the heels of the 40th anniversary of the Caribbean Community, the CARICOM Youth Ambassadors throughout Member States have recognised the importance for there to be continual and progressive resonance of the objectives of the Caribbean Community among citizens.

On Friday, 4th July 2014, the Caribbean Community would celebrate forty one (41) years since the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas. To date, the Caribbean Community has made strides in advancing functional cooperation among Member States, economic integration, security and foreign policy coordination.

At this juncture, the CARICOM Youth Ambassadors believe that it is critical for CARICOM citizens to identify with the objectives of the Caribbean Community in the quest to reach higher heights in the next 40 years. The CARICOM Youth Ambassadors throughout CARICOM Members States have been tirelessly working to capture the significance of this regional integration initiative in a campaign dubbed “I AM CARICOM.”

The campaign would feature videos from the grassroots level to the upper echelons of society. Cindy Morquette, Dean of the CARICOM Youth Ambassadors Corps highlighted that there are still too many who are indifferent and unappreciative of the benefits of the Caribbean Community and emphasised that as a result of this initiative persons should become increasingly receptive to the achievement of the goals and objectives of CARICOM.

Vice Dean, Regional Initiatives, Tamira Browne noted that in an effort to educate more persons about CARICOM, Youth Ambassadors across CARICOM Member States recorded the views of a wide cross-section of persons throughout the Community to ascertain how they relate to the  development of the Caribbean Community.

Ambassador Jo-Nelle Walsh and Ambassador Kurt Williams from Antigua and Barbuda, highlighted the importance of initiatives such as “I AM CARICOM” by emphasising the role of the CARICOM Youth Ambassador Programme (CYAP) for deepening levels of youth partnership and participation in the regional integration and development processes; and for equipping a cadre of exceptional young persons with leadership knowledge, skills, values and attitudes.